Esalen Presents: "Human Futures: A.I. Through the Lens of Human Potential"

Schedule

Sat Nov 14 2026 at 07:30 pm to 09:30 pm

UTC-08:00
Location

The 418 Project | Santa Cruz, CA

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The Esalen Institute's Sam Stern looks at Artificial Intelligence through the perspective of Esalen's human potential movement.
About this Event

Sat., November 14th – 7:30 PM – SMALL THEATER

Esalen Institute Presents:

HUMAN FUTURES: AI THROUGH THE LENS OF HUMAN POTENTIAL – Illustrated lecture by Esalen’s Sam Stern

Artificial intelligence offers extraordinary assistance, expression, and power. It also arrives inside systems that reward extraction, dependency, and control. Drawing from his work at the Esalen Institute and the human potential movement, Sam Stern asks how we might evaluate AI according to a richer conception of human flourishing—one that considers authenticity, embodiment, agency, relationship, community, and responsibility for the world our choices collectively produce.

Bio: Sam Stern is a Senior Content Creator at Esalen Institute and host of the million-download podcast Voices of Esalen, where he’s interviewed voices shaping psychology, spirituality, and culture, including Sonya Renee Taylor, Richard Schwartz, Michael Pollan, Bayo Akomolafe, and Stanislav Grof. Sam is a cum laude graduate of Brown University, where he received the William J. Weston Award for excellence in Film and Video. At Esalen, he frequently teaches on human-centered AI, guiding others to approach emergent technologies with curiosity, critical thinking, and play.

Esalen is a holistic retreat and nonprofit educational institute, established in 1962 and considered the epicenter of the human potential movement. Esalen is situated on 27 acres nestled between the Santa Lucia Mountains and the Pacific Ocean and features a cascading canyon stream and hot mineral springs gushing out of a seaside cliff. (https://www.esalen.org/)


Tickets: $15 advance / $20 at the door.

Doors open at 7:00 PM, lecture at 7:30 PM at The 418 Project, 155 South River Street, downtown Santa Cruz at the Dragons Gate.

Safety protocols will be in compliance with local guidelines at the time of showing.

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Where is it happening?

The 418 Project, 155 S River Street, Santa Cruz, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

USD 17.85 to USD 23.18

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